Improvement in snap-hooks



J. 0.- SCHNEIDER. Snap-Hooks.

No. 207,309. Patented Aug, 20,1878.

N. PErERS, PHOTO-LITMOGRAPMER, WASHINGTON. D. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN C SCHNEIDER, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN SNAP-HOOKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 207,309, dated August 20, 1878; application filed July 29, 1878.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN G. SCHNEIDER, of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented anew and useful Improvement in Snap-Hooks for Harness, as fully set forth in the following specification, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, in which- Figures land 2 represent perspective views of my improved snap-hook coupled with a harness-hame ring, and Fig. 3 represents a longitudinal sectional view of the same.

The nature of myinvention relates to a harness snap-hook; and it consists in a hook having a slotted shank, and having the springlatch pivoted to its eyed end. This latch has a curved bar, as a guide and spring-guard, which is passed through the slot in the shank. It has also a bifurcated end, the prongs of which embrace the point of the hook and prevent accidentaldisengagement, as will be more fully hereinafter explained.

In the drawing, A represents the hook, having shank a and eye I), in the usual manner. The shank a is slotted at c, and at d it is provided with projecting lugs, between which the latch. E is pivoted. This latch E has a curved guide-bar, e, cast or otherwise secured to its bottom side, which bar enters the slot 0, and has a curvilinear movement therein, for guiding and steadying the motion of the latch, and at the same time to act as a guard to the latch-spring F. One end of this spring F is inserted into a grooved shoulder, f, under the pivotal end of the latch E, and is secured to said latch by a rivet, while its opposite end presses upon the shank a of hook A.

The extreme end of latch E is bifurcated, so

as to present two prongs, g, which embrace the point of hook A, and which are of such lengths that they will allow only suflicient room between the body of the hookA and the ends of said prongs while being depressed for the harness-ring to glide under while on a direct line with the snap-hook. These prongs g at the end of the latch E will not only prevent lateral play to said latch, and sustain the same in its locking position, but they will also make accidental disengagement of the harness-ring impossible. The trace chains will slacken While the team is going down hill, or when reducingits speed; and by the movement of the horses, as well as by the unevenness of the street or road, these chains will be shaking and twisting, whereby it frequently happens that the snap-hook is brought in a position diagonal upon or under the harness-ring, as shown by Fig. 2,when, by a stroke of the tracechain, the spring-latch is forced back and the hook is uncoupled from the harness ring. Such accidents are obviated by the use of my above-described improvements, whereby the snap-hook only can be uncoupled while on a direct line with the harness-ring.

What I claim as my invention is- In a snap-hook, the combination, with the shank a, having the slot 0 and lugs d cast therewith, of the latch E, with bifurcated end g, pivoted at one end between said lugs d, and having the guide c and the spring F secured in recessed shoulder f on said latch E, substantially as described and shown.

JOHN C. SCHNEIDER.

Witnesses:

E. J EBSEN, EMIL H. FROMMANN. 

